Tag: Cambridgeshire County Council

The Newborough And Thorney Solar Debate

19:00 on Friday 13th December 2013
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: So tonight (Thursday 12th December 2013) we bring everybody together that’s got something relevant to say about one of the biggest issues that I’ve ever known in Peterborough, in the 25 years I’ve lived in and around the city, the grand Newborough and Thorney solar debate. We also bring together two people who have played out a bit of a debate in public as well. The MP for Peterborough, Stewart Jackson, and the Leader of the Council, Marco Cereste. The key facts: the debate is about 900 acres of farmland North of Peterborough (East), described as good quality land, most of it around Newborough Thorney and Eye, fields that are used to farm crops to feed what is an ever-growing, as well known, population. But cover it in solar panels is the plan, and some wind turbine,. and you have, according to the Leader of the City Council, an income that will protect front line services. It will mean the people of Peterborough will have more, pay less, at a time when the Government has put the squeeze on local councils. Well tonight we’ll look at the wider issues, around the financial challenges of the Council, around the potential black hole in five years time in their finances, and how do we balance farm land, green energy, sustainability and the future of our children. We begin though with the two men who have been it’s fair to say I think right at the heart of the debate. We’ll start with Leader of the Council Marco Cereste. Marco, good evening. And just explain your position if you would.
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Ashley Walsh On Free School Dinners

17:42 Friday 13th December 2013
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[C]HRIS MANN: The Government’s pledge for free school lunches has been questioned by another Cambridgeshire councillor. From September next year, all 5 to 7 year olds in primary schools could be entitled to a free hot dinner. Ashley Walsh .. the Labour councillor for Petersfield is questioning whether our county’s schools are able to serve up that promise. Ashley, tell us what your concern is.
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Tim Bick On The City Deal For Cambridge

09:37 Thursday 12th December 2013
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[A]NDIE HARPER: Nick Clegg the Deputy Prime Minister is visiting Cambridge today, and he’s expected to announce that the Government is to make more money available to be spent on roads in the county. This is in addition to spending on the A14. So what can we expect? Well joining me is Tim Bick. Tim is the Liberal Democrat Leader of Cambridge City Council. Tim, good morning to you. Thanks for coming in.
TIM BICK: Good morning Andie.
ANDIE HARPER: So what is this money all about? We’ve been talking about the A14 money for some time, and obviously other main roads need work on, but this specific announcement by the Deputy Prime Minister, how much and where is it to be used?
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Cambs Councillor Wants Time Out For Tour De France

07:38 Tuesday 10th December 2013
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: A Cambridgeshire councillor says the County Council should let its staff leave the office to watch the Tour de France next year. The race will pass through Cambridgeshire on 7th July next summer, and it’s a Monday. Fancy a long weekend? So should the people of Cambridgeshire be allowed those few extra hours off work? Well Cllr Ian Manning will make the suggestion at a Council meeting tomorrow. Morning Ian.
IAN MANNING: Good morning Paul.
PAUL STAINTON: Now why do you think this might be a good idea then?
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City Deal For Cambridge Will Help It To Grow

17:07 Thursday 5th December 2013
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[C]HRIS MANN: A billion pound deal called the City Deal has been announced today for Cambridgeshire from the Government. It means more of the money made here will be invested here on housing and infrastructure, and it’s been negotiated by the City, the District, and the County Councils, and others. In a moment or two I’ll be talking to Tim Bick, the Liberal Democrat Leader of Cambridge City Council, who’s with me in the studio, but first of all, I spoke earlier to the Leader of the County Council, Martin Curtis.
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Soham Solar Plans Await Government Subsidy Announcement

07:22 Wednesday 4th December 2013
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: There are plans for a 50 acre solar farm at Soham. It will produce enough electricity for 3,000 homes and save over 4,000 tons of carbon. Cambridgeshire County Council are fully behind the plans, but could council green energy projects be under threat? The Government are expected to announce later that subsidies for on-shore wind farms and solar power are to be cut as part of big changes to support for renewable energy. Well John MacMillan is Rural Estate Manager at Cambridgeshire County Council. John, morning.
JOHN MACMILLAN: Good morning Paul.
PAUL STAINTON: Well, what’s the point then? If that’s going to happen, you’re not going to make any money out of this, are you?
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Peterborough District Hospital Site Sold For Housing

08:25 Tuesday 26th November 2013
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[P]AUL STAINTON: It’s been derelict for more than two years, but now the former Peterborough District Hospital site has finally been sold. Since the new PCH site opened at Bretton, Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have been trying to sell the site to plug a huge shortfall in the budget. Interim Chief Executive Dr Peter Reading explained why the sale had taken so long to go through.
(TAPE)
DR PETER READING: Well two reasons really. One is the collapse of the property market caught the Trust cold several years ago. They originally were planning to develop it themselves in a joint venture, and the collapse in the property market really wiped that option out. They then went down what was a bit of a blind alley, looking at a particular deal that was put forward by a developer by an unusual route, and then eventually decided that actually the best thing to do was to go to the open market and get an open market price. The Hospital, which has been a bit of an eyesore and a bit of a risk for three years since we closed it, will now be demolished, and between 300 and 350 new homes and a school will be built on that site.
(LIVE)
PAUL STAINTON: Now the new owners planning that housing development are Lands Improvement Holdings. The NHS will receive £7.75 million up front from the sale of the land, which is just a fraction of the debt owed by the new Peterborough City Hospital. Joining me now is MP for Peterborough Stewart Jackson. Stewart, morning.
STEWART JACKSON: Good morning Paul.
PAUL STAINTON: Now you’ve called for this to be hurried up and get the sale moved on over and over and over. It’s been a long time coming, hasn’t it?
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Martin Curtis Cambs County Budget 2014

17:07 Monday 25th November 2013
BBC Radio Cambridgeshire

[C]HRIS MANN: Next year’s proposed budget for our county council has just been published, and there are yet more cost savings and cutbacks, on top of the 1.99% rise in council tax that they’d already flagged up. The minority Conservative administration says it has no choice, because the central government has removed so much of its funding, forcing it to save £149 million over five years, on top of the £74 million saved in the last two. Their Leader Martin Curtis warns in an extended interview with me of even tougher times ahead. He joined me earlier, on the day that superfast broadband was switched on in the County. But first that budget. I asked him to sum it up.
(TAPE)
MARTIN CURTIS: We’re having to make about £32 million worth of savings this year, and that’s despite putting council tax up by 1.99%. That’s what we’re proposing. Within that there’s a lot of very very difficult decisions to be made, not least because a lot of the easier decisions have already been made, and the easier savings have already been taken.
CHRIS MANN: So year after year you’ve had the squeeze put on you by the Government. Have you now reached the stage where yes, you’ve cut the backroom staff, you’ve cut the management. Now you’re having to take really tough decisions which affect the standard of service to people?
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